EU Budget

Answering questions on the EU budget, the PMS said that the European Scrutiny Committee debate was an opportunity for MPs to set out their thinking on the European Commission’s proposals for the next budget. Our position was very clear: at a time when the European Commission President himself had said that public finances must be consolidated it was totally unacceptable for the Commission to propose large increases in the EU budget. The summit in November would involve negotiations between 27 different countries who would each have different views, but the Prime Minister would make very clear the need for budget restraint.